White Sox Make a Statement Against Tigers and Grow Division Lead in Series Opener

After losing their series with the Cincinnati Reds and going 4-6 in their last 10 games, the Chicago White Sox made a statement that they aren't dead in the water yet. Chicago would beat the Detroit Tigers 9-5 in a great win.

This is a really important series for the White Sox to win, as they were just 2.5 games ahead of Detroit going into this one.

Let's go over it!

Multiple Players Break Out of Slumps

Right fielder Braden Montgomery has slashed .212/.349/.308 in his last 15 games with one home run. He got out of his slump in a big way. Montgomery went 3-for-5 with three runs driven in, including a two-run triple.

Outfielder Tristan Peters was 8-for-67 since the All-Star Break with a .395 OPS in 24 games. Peters went 3-for-5, including a two-run home run to tie the game after an early deficit.

Finally, after a minor slump for third baseman Miguel Vargas, the All-Star would go 4-for-5 with two home runs of his own to extend the lead. He was only a triple shy of the cycle.

Pitching Not Sharp

In what was a bullpen day for the White Sox, the pitching was not great. Sean Newcomb would open this game and go 1.1 scoreless innings. Then, José Urquidy would come in as the bulk reliever for his White Sox debut. It likely will be his last game based on his performance. In 3.2 innings, Urquidy gave up five hits, three runs, and struck out three batters.

Huascar Brazobán would then come in, going 1.1 innings and giving up three hits and two runs, including a home run. However, Grant Taylor entered a high-leverage situation and went 1.2 scoreless innings. Finally, Bryan Hudson would end the game with a scoreless ninth.

Next Up

The White Sox will attempt to win the series against the Tigers on Saturday with Anthony Kay on the mound against Troy Melton. While Anthony Kay has been on a heater of his own with a 3.00 ERA in his last seven starts, Melton has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in his last seven games.

Melton has a 0.64 ERA during that stretch (42.1 innings) with 44 strikeouts. He has not given up an earned run since July 23 and has not given up more than two runs since June 9.

This will be a hard game to score runs in, so the White Sox should be thankful they made a statement against the Tigers in the first game of the series.

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